Yeshayah 19:16

16 In that day shall Mitzrayim be like nashim; and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the yad Hashem Tzva’os, which He shaketh against it.

Yeshayah 19:16 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 19:16

In that day shall Egypt be like unto women
Weak and feeble, as the Targum; fearful and timorous, even their military force; and devoid of wisdom, even their princes and nobles: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the
hand of the Lord of hosts, which he shaketh over it:
which the Lord may be said to do, when he lifts up his rod, and holds it over a people, and threatens them with ruin and destruction; perhaps this may refer to what was done in Judea by Sennacherib's army, which was an intimation to the Egyptians that their turn was next; and if the shaking of the Lord's hand over a people is so terrible, what must the weight of it be? Some think there is an allusion to Moses's shaking his rod over the Red sea when the Egyptians were drowned, in which the hand or power of the Lord was so visibly seen, and which now might be called to mind. Ben Melech observes, that when one man calls to another, he waves his hand to him to come to him; so here it is as if the Lord waved with his hand to the enemy to come and fight against Egypt, which caused fear and dread.

Yeshayah 19:16 In-Context

14 Hashem hath poured a ruach iv’im (spirit of dizziness) in the midst thereof, causing Mitzrayim to go astray in every ma’aseh thereof, as a shikkor staggereth in his vomit.
15 Neither shall there be any ma’aseh for Mitzrayim, which the head or tail, branch or stalk, may do.
16 In that day shall Mitzrayim be like nashim; and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the yad Hashem Tzva’os, which He shaketh against it.
17 And Admat Yehudah shall be a terror unto Mitzrayim, every one that maketh mention of Yehudah shall be afraid in himself, because of the etzah (plan) of Hashem Tzva’os, which He hath determined against it.
18 In that day shall five cities in Eretz Mitzrayim speak the sefat (language) of Kena’an, and swear allegiance to Hashem Tzva’os; one shall be called, Ir HaHeres (The City of the Sun).
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.